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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Welcome to my stop on the
Pre-Release Spotlight Tour, presented by Sourcebooks
Casablanca, for The Lady Meets Her Matchby Gina Conkle. Please leave a comment or question for Gina
to let her know you stopped by. You can
enter the Sourcebooks Tour Wide Giveaway, for one (1) of five (5) copies of
Meet the Earl at Midnight, the first book in Gina’s Midnight Meetings series,
by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

Today we’re sitting down with
historical romance author Gina Conkle! Gina’s latest book, The Lady Meets Her
Match, comes out this April. To celebrate we’re participating in the “Ask Gina
Spotlight Tour”, take it away Gina!

Question: When was the moment that you knew you had to
be a writer?

Gina: My “Now is the time” moment came when my
youngest son was two. It was as much a matter of putting my dreams front and
center as the cascade of stories in my head.

Cyrus Ryland didn’t become
England’s wealthiest bachelor by being a pushover, but the mysterious beauty he
discovers sneaking around his study during a grand ball enflames his curiosity.
They share one dance, but when the clock chimes midnight, she’s nowhere to be
found. So Cyrus vows to scour all of London to uncover who she is.

Claire Mayhew is risking it
all by forging Ryland’s signature. But the maddening man won’t lease properties
to an unmarried woman. He stands in the way of Claire’s dream: running her own
business. The midtown property fits her plans perfectly—a place to live as an
independent woman of commerce. When she sneaks into his study and forges his
signature, she never expects to be attracted to the stodgy bachelor. But if he
finds out who she is, all of her dreams could go up in smoke…

EXCERPT

Cyrus removed his fine blue
coat, the slide of cloth on cloth an inviting sound to her benumbed senses.

“You’re not warming up
sufficiently.” He leaned in and wrapped his coat over her shoulders, his deep
voice like an intimate connection. “Someone needs to take care of you.”

She shuddered when his breath
tickled her ear. His warmth and nearness was just as heavenly as what he draped
around her. She could tell he found her refusal more amusing than deterring.
Cyrus closed the coat in front of her, his body heat palpable inside. The
collar’s woven broadcloth brushed her rain-misted cheeks, his pleasant scent on
the cloth. The coat was part of an expensive, well-tailored ditto suit:
identical blue fabric with spare gold trim on the coat, waistcoat, and
breeches.

“I’ll ruin part of a
perfectly good suit.” But she pulled the coat tighter, greedy for the snug feel.

He added more coal to the
blaze. The inferno’s orange light danced across white cotton stretched over his
shoulders. Muscles moved under the fabric, mesmerizing her while he built a
hotter fire. And then there was his offer to waive her rent and give her a
loan, an offer apparently free of unique requirements. His act of generosity
pinched her conscience.

How dare he be so…nice.

“About the rent, the loan, I
cannot accept your kind offer.” She cleared her throat, trying to sound
competent. “I’ll find a way.”

Ryland glanced at her but
said nothing to counter her refusal. Instead, he dropped to the floor, kneeling
before her. Without asking her leave, he removed one shoe and then the other,
and set the soaked footwear against the hearth’s ash pan.

“What are you doing?” Her
words, like her body, went slack, all of her too worn down.

His head bent close to her
knee. One hand, large and warm, curled around her ankle, rubbing life back into
her foot. A big, masculine palm moved under the arch, creating delightful
friction. She pressed her lips together, holding back a moan of pleasure.

“I would think a land
steward’s daughter would know wet clothes are hazardous for one’s health.” He
flashed a devilish grin. “You ought to remove your wet clothes, cover yourself
with something warm and dry.”

Such as covering myself with
you.

About Gina Conkle

Gina Conkle, a history nerd
to the core, loves castles and museums. Her motto is “the older and moldier,
the better.” When not enjoying relics, she lives in the present, dabbling in
organic gardening at her home in San Diego, California. She lives with Brian,
her husband and favorite alpha male, and their two boys. Visit her at www.ginaconkle.com.

Welcome
to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour for AuthorC.W. Gortnerwho is touring from March 20-April 8, 2015 with

About the book:

For readers of “The Paris Wife” and “Z” comes this vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy, and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel—the ambitious, gifted laundrywoman’s daughter who revolutionized fashion, built an international empire, and became one of the most influential and controversial figures of the twentieth century.

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are sent to an orphanage after their mother’s death. The sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Transforming herself into Coco—a seamstress and sometime torch singer—the petite brunette burns with ambition, an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny.

Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, her sleek, minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman. As Coco’s reputation spreads, her couturier business explodes, taking her into rarefied society circles and bohemian salons. But her fame and fortune cannot save her from heartbreak as the years pass. And when Paris falls to the Nazis, Coco is forced to make choices that will haunt her.

An enthralling novel of an extraordinary designer who created the life she desired, Mademoiselle Chanel explores the inner world of a woman of staggering ambition whose strength, passion and artistic vision would become her trademark.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.W. Gortner is the international bestselling author of six historical novels,
translated in over twenty-five languages to date.
His new novel, “Mademoiselle Chanel”,
traces the tumultuous rise to fame of iconic fashion designer,
Coco Chanel.

In 2016, Random House will publish his eighth novel, “Vatican Princess”,
about Lucrezia Borgia.

Raised in Spain and a long-time resident of the Bay Area,
C.W. is also dedicated to companion animal rescue from overcrowded shelters.

Visit each blogger on the tour:tweeting about the giveaway everyday
of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time!
[just follow the directions on the entry-form]
6 winners
Open to US only:
5 printed copies
+ 1 beautiful, handcrafted beaded bracelet
inspired by Coco’s black-and-white signature colors
and camellia design.

CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ OTHER REVIEWS, EXCERPTS, GUEST-POST AND INTERVIEW

Welcome to my stop on the Cover Reveal Tour, presented by Indie Sage Promotions, for Between Dreams by Cynthia Austin. Please leave a comment or question for Cynthia to let her know you stopped by. You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

About the book:

A handsome rock star boyfriend, a closet full of designer clothes, a limousine service at her beck and call, and a mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.

Even with all of that glamour and excitement at her fingertips, she still feels as if she's been missing something in her life so she decides to leave.

While trying her best to put her dysfunctional romantic relationship aside and tend to her beloved Granny, Sidney unexpectedly stumbles upon an intriguing emerald pendant boxed away in her grandmother's closet.
Soon she learns it once belonged to her long-lost mother who committed suicide when she was just a baby.

Suddenly feeling emotionally connected to the woman who had birthed her, Sidney begins to wear the necklace.

This sends her on a whirlwind journey that alternates between fantasy and reality...

Almost immediately, she starts having dreams linked to the mysterious pendant. As danger begins to seep into her life, Sidney refuses to remove the necklace and instead documents each dream to help her further understand them.

However, she soon begins to wonder if they are dreams meant to bond her to a mother who she never knew?
Or a subconscious warning that threatens her very life?

About Cynthia Austin

Cynthia Austin lives in Northern California with her
husband, two boys, and Olde English Bulldogge named Count Dogula. They love all things horror, gothic, and Victorian which prompts her friends to dub them as “The Adams Family.”

She is an avid reader who may be slightly obsessed with music. She hears music in a way that she believes the artist intended it to be heard: visually, with a storyline that follows. Listening to the songs by her favorite artists, she was inspired to write her first series titled “The Pendant.”

Cynthia has been published twice in The Writer’s Monthly Magazine as well as the online news site, Yahoo! Voices. She currently attends Diablo Valley College, in Pleasant Hill, California, where she is working to achieve her degree in English.

In
Richard H. Weber’s passionate new thriller, a smoldering mystery ignites on a
tropical island as lust, murder, and politics collide.

San Iñigo is a jewel of the Caribbean, a playground
paradise for the foreign elite, a hell for unfortunate locals. For recent
Princeton grad Dan Shedrick, San Iñigo promises the fulfillment of too many
desires.

Dan hires on at a powerful American firm as a junior
architect, but still finds time for tennis, booze, a reckless affair with the
sexy wife of a resort owner—even a bit of reconnaissance for the U.S. cultural
attaché. But soon he discovers that nothing on San Iñigo is without
consequence. When a much-loved local radio personality is found on a beach with
his head blown off, Dan’s lover becomes a suspect. And not long after his foray
into espionage, he’s dragged away on a brutal journey into the heart of
darkness.

Buffeted by aggression, depraved ritual, and personal
betrayal, Dan discovers fierce truths about San Iñigo . . . and himself. In the
island’s forbidding mountain jungle, his life goes up in flames—a deadly
inferno that will forever change him, if he survives at all.

About
Richard Hilary Weber

Richard
Hilary Weber, a native of Brooklyn and a Columbia University graduate, has
taught at the universities of Stockholm and Copenhagen, and has been a
scriptwriter for French and Swedish filmmakers. He lives in Provence, France.

A lover of mysteries, thrillers and romantic
suspense, I couldn’t wait to read In Flames
by Richard
H. Weber. Set in in a lush
tropical paradise and filled with intrigue, forbidden romance and betrayal at
almost every turn, Dan Shedrick, Mr. Weber’s protagonist, is a
surprising choice as a central character.
Especially when you take into account his age, experience and naiveté. While I found Mr. Weber’s writing style
easy to read and mostly enjoyable, I have to admit that I don’t really believe
this fits in the thriller genre; I’m just not sure what genre I would put it
in.

A recent graduate from Princeton with no
job prospects, Dan Shedrick manages to “luck” into a job working for the XY
Company as a junior architect designing oil rigs. Sent to a lush tropical paradise, San Inigo,
Dan starts work and immediately falls in with the local “ex-pats”(Americans
living on the island) and their lifestyle.
While life on the island for the ex-pats is one spent drinking, eating
and playing sports (tennis, golf, swimming), the island is hardly the tropical
paradise one would typically expect. The
government is clearly corrupt and being bolstered by U.S. support in exchange
for oil. Life outside of the ex-pat
community is full of danger with armed rebels determined to get their island
back and Dan soon finds himself involved in ways he could never have imagined.

While Mr. Weber does a good job developing
Dan’s character, he’s not a character I was able to connect with or even really
like. While Dan is clearly young (just
graduated from college so I am assuming around 22-23), he’s naïve, foolish and
morally weak. Beginning an affair with
his country club host’s wife is just one of the many things Dan does which gets
him into hot water. Agreeing to become a
“spy” and solve the murder of a local “radio celebrity” for the American
Embassy attaché (AKA CIA Station Chief) for additional money (but no training
what-so-ever) is beyond believable (I seriously hope the CIA doesn’t recruit local
talent this way). As if Dan doesn’t have
enough on his plate, he’s invited to attend a local “Santeria” ceremony, where
as luck would have it, he gets kidnapped by the local rebels, who are being led
by a former priest whose fall from grace was a result of Dan’s spying attempts.

The secondary characters are colorful and
morally ambiguous at best. We meet
Elaine, the young wife of the country club owner, who uses Dan for more than
just an affair. As one of the central
secondary characters, Elaine is colorful and interesting; she introduces Dan to
the CIA Station Chief for money, is somehow connected to the death of the local
“radio celebrity”, and literally hands Dan over to the rebels on a silver
platter. We also meet the “Padre”, a
priest in trouble with the local Bishop and a man who has a lot more on his
plate than one would expect for someone in his position. Things that eventually lead to his being
de-frocked and expelled by the local bishop.
We also meet the local “general” in control of the island; a man who was
once Elaine’s lover and thinks she is somehow involved in the death of the “radio
celebrity”. He’s not interested in
justice or concerned about the welfare of the local people and makes it clear
to Dan that he intends to jail whoever gets in his way.

Will Dan find a way to get free from the
rebel who have kidnapped him? Will he ever solve the murder of the local “radio
celebrity”? And will he choose to remain
on the island or flee back to the US when he gets the chance? You’ll have to read In Flamesto find out.

My
Rating: 3 out of 5 Crowns

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented
by Goddess Fish
Promotions, for Days of Future Past by Sally Smith O’Rourke. Please leave a comment or question for June
to let her know you stopped by. To enter
her tour wide giveaway, for a $15 Amazon or B&N GC, fill out the
Rafflecopter below. You can follow all
of the stops of her tour by clicking on the tour banner above.

Fate sometimes conspires to right a decades-old wrong. The 6.8 earthquake that
strikes Southern California one warm March night is the fateful event that
brings family therapist Ann Hart and trauma specialist Ted McConaughy back
together.

Twenty years after his betrayal caused the cancellation of their wedding, Ted
finds himself in need of Ann’s help. The intense, recurring dreams that are
invading his sleep are thought to be memories of past lives. And hypnotherapy,
one of Ann’s specialties, may be the cure he seeks.

Their journey defies time and reason, forcing them to re-evaluate their
capacity for love and forgiveness.

EXCERPT

Chapter
Eight

Thursday,
March 13

The
courtyard of Toni’s building was unnervingly quiet. The terrarium-like space
with a waterfall-fed pond and stream stood silent and dry. The earthquake must
have damaged the water system in the building. It made him wonder if Toni would
even be in her office. There was no one around, but the faint sound of clanging
metal hammering metal indicated that workers were there.

The
door to Toni’s office stood partially open. If she wasn’t there would her door
be open? Perhaps her last patient left and the next had not yet arrived. His
footsteps seemed to echo in the stillness of the landscaped atrium. He stood at
the open door gathering his courage, finally pushing it open the rest of the
way.

The
office reminded him of a study or library in an English manor house. The
centerpiece of the room was a large desk, mahogany perhaps. A dusty rose
leather chair sat behind it. At one end of the large room was a conversation
area. There was a small oval table separating a loveseat and two comfortable
looking chairs. Knowing Toni, he suspected several of the pieces were antique.

There
was no trite theme like ‘English Country Cottage’ and no obvious color scheme
either. It wasn’t the usual therapist’s office with blue or yellow walls with
decorations that theoretically created a calming atmosphere. Like Toni, this room
was warm and inviting. It was a gift she had, making people comfortable.

He
stepped into the office. At the other end of the room was a spiral staircase of
highly polished wood which led to a loft surrounded by railings matching the
staircase. He assumed the earthquake had caused the empty shelves that lined
the balcony.

He
strained to see if she was upstairs and took a few steps backwards until he
bumped into one of the chairs in the conversation area. There she was, sitting
on the floor stacking books after wiping them off with a cloth. The sun
streamed through the skylight highlighting glints of copper in her hair. She
was wearing it up, accentuating the curve of her neck. He remembered how the
chestnut tresses looked when they tumbled in soft waves over her shoulders and
down her back. He sighed.

He
hadn’t really seen her yesterday, so he didn’t realize how lovely she still was
… yesterday! That was why he was here, to apologize for whatever it was he’d
done. He sat on the arm of the closest chair and cleared his throat.

Ann
glanced over her shoulder assuming it was one of the workmen who had been
coming in and out since she arrived. She couldn’t have been more surprised. She
got up and went to the railing.

“How
did you find me?”

He
blew out the breath he’d been holding. “My powers of deduction are quite
remarkable these days … you’re listed in information.”

“Oh.”
Her stomach was suddenly tied in knots.

“When
did you change your name?”

“I
got married, if it’s any of your business.”

“I
meant your first name.”

“Ann
is more professional than Toni.”

“Toni
suits you.”

“It
suited the child I was. What do you want?”

“I
want to apologize.”

“For
what?”

“Yesterday.”

Eager
for him to leave, she rushed to say, “Apology accepted.” She hesitated a fraction
of a moment. “You can go now,” she said and started to turn away.

“I’d
like to talk.”

“About
what?”

“You
could tell me what you’ve been doing.”

“I
have no desire to have a conversation with you about anything, certainly not
about my life.” She had the souvenir box from Big Bear in her hand, and she
almost threw it at him, but controlled herself. “Look, I accepted the apology
for your bizarre behavior yesterday, so why are you still here?”

Ted
slipped off the arm of the chair into the seat. “Why are you so angry?”

She
glared at him from her perch in the loft and could see in his eyes that he
really didn’t know why. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, turning her
back to the room. Why was she still angry after all these years? Uncle Jamie had
tried many times to get her to purge the anger, but even through her happy
years with Alex she held on to it. If she had a patient doing this, she’d be
counseling to let it go. So why couldn’t she?

Her
thoughts thus engaged and her back to the room she didn’t see Ted move from the
conversation area to the foot of the stairs. She turned at the sound of an
unfamiliar voice.

Now,
what was happening? Ted was standing there looking up at her, but it wasn’t
Ted. What did that even mean? Assuming it would be like yesterday, she braced
herself for another explosive confrontation. She looked into his eyes; it
definitely wasn’t Ted looking back. What was going on? Whatever it was, she was concerned that he
might become as volatile as he had been the day before so thought it best to
play along until she could figure out what he was doing.

Slowly
she said, “Ann Hart, my name is Ann Hart.”

He
made a deep bow. “Andrew Mcnaughton, at your service, Miss Hart.” His mouth
turned into a lopsided grin. “It is Miss, is it not?”

Baffled,
but trying to elicit information, she sidestepped his question and asked one of
her own. “How do you come to be here Mr. Mcnaughton?”

Continuing
in the Scottish brogue he hesitantly answered, “The same way you did, Miss
Hart. I boarded at Glasgow.”

“Scotland?”

He
chuckled. Obviously it was Scotland for where else would they have been? “Yes.
We left Glasgow under full sail at eventide yesterday, and with God’s speed
shall arrive in Antigua three weeks hence.” He looked up at her rather
quizzically and asked, “Are you in need of the ship’s physician, Miss Hart?”

Unsure
what to say about any of it she asked, “Why do you ask?”

“As
you are aboard a ship but have no memory of it, I thought perhaps you were in
need of medical assistance.”

Still
thinking that playing along would answer some questions she responded, “I am
quite well, thank you, however, as you suggest I do seem to have lost some
time. Can you tell me the date?”

“It
is, as of the midnight hour, the tenth of May in the year of our Lord eighteen
hundred and five.”

A
loud rap on the open door made both Ann and Ted turn. A man in gray work
clothes looked up at her. “Saw your door standing open, Doc, wanted to check
that nothing was amiss.” He looked through squinty eyes at Ted. “Are you all
right?”

Ann
looked down at Ted, who looked up at her. He was back. He was Ted again. She
turned to the workman. “I’m fine. Thanks, Sam.”

Glaring
at Ted, he said, “Okay, just makin’ sure.” He left, looking over his shoulder
as he went.

Once
the workman was gone, she asked, “What’s going on with you?”

Trying
to recovery gracefully, from what he wasn’t sure, he answered her question
with, “What do you mean?” He glanced around. Before Ann could answer him he
said, “How did I get over here?”

“You
walked.”

“I
guess I mean, why am I over here?”

“Well,
you should say what you mean, and mean what you say.”

“Hmmm,
I believe we’ve had that conversation before.” She couldn’t help but smile,
remembering their first meeting.

She
was about to ask him about his odd behavior again, when he cleared his throat
and pulled the rose out of the pocket of his jacket. He took a few more steps
up the stairs, and then held it out to her. “I brought this as a bit of a peace
offering. It reminded me of you.”

His
sporadic and peculiar behavior was pushed to a back burner, and curiosity now
replaced her anger. Hesitantly she said, “It’s beautiful.” It was almost a
question. Taking a few steps down, she accepted the proffered bloom, “I’ve
never seen a rose this color. Where did you get it?”

“Exactly?”
Realization struck, and her eyes popped wide open. “You picked it!?! You stole
it from the rose garden?”

He
looked, for all the world, like a small boy caught with his hand in the cookie
jar. Then she saw a smile come into his eyes that spoke of satisfaction. She
couldn’t help herself; she laughed.

“I’ve
never been given a pilfered rose before.” She smiled.

It
was nice that she wasn’t angry about it. “I couldn’t resist it.”

“I
could probably have your library membership revoked and have you banned
permanently from even being allowed in.”

“But
you wouldn’t, would you?”

Unable
to deny her amusement, Ann conceded that she would not. The ‘girl on the swing’
clock chimed the half hour. Ted glanced at his watch.

“I
need to go,” he said as he took the few steps still separating them. “It was
wonderful seeing you again.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek then rushed down
the stairs. At the door he turned back, “I’ll call you,” he said and left.

Ann’s
mind was in complete turmoil. But when she calmed down and thought about it for
a second, she found that she really enjoyed the exchange. She sat on the step
in the middle of the staircase, and inhaled the fragrance of the rose. A
pilfered flower. She shook her head, making no effort to stop the grin from
spreading across her face. She was amazed at how comfortable it was being with
him, but even more amazed that she wanted to hear from him.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

“Where
shall I begin? Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first?”
(J.A. June 15, 1808)

That
I reside in the Victorian village of Monrovia, California; a mere two miles
from my place of employment. A local hospital where I spend most daylight hours
in the operating room as a scrub nurse.

That
I am a native Californian, having been born in Glendale, and spent most of my
life here with a relatively short span of years in Reno, Nevada where I
attended school. Returning after graduation I have remained in sunny SoCal.

That
I was widowed some time ago. That I have very domestic hobbies like sewing,
cooking, baking, candy making and cake decorating. Oh, yes I write, too. Mike,
my late husband and teacher, taught me that writing has to be treated like a
job so every day no matter how tired I am I edit, research one or more projects
and write.

That
I have finished the sequel to The Man Who Loves Jane Austen with Yours
Affectionately, Jane Austen; have started a story of reincarnation that takes
place in Pasadena, CA and am making notes for a ghost story set in San
Francisco. Three stories running around in my head and often colliding but I
untangle the debris and continue on.

In an explosive
thriller for readers of Lee Child, Alex Berenson, and Brad Taylor, P.I. and
security specialist Jamie Sinclair finds herself caught in a dangerous game of
international cat-and-mouse.

Jamie
Sinclair’s father has never asked her for a favor in her life. The former
two-star general turned senator is more in the habit of giving his only child
orders. So when he requests Jamie’s expertise as a security specialist, she
can’t refuse—even though it means slamming the brakes on her burgeoning
relationship with military police officer Adam Barrett. Just like that, Jamie
hops aboard a flight to London with a U.S. State Department courier carrying a
diplomatic pouch in an iron grip.

Jamie
doesn’t have to wait long to put her unique skills to good use. When she and
the courier are jumped by goons outside the Heathrow terminal, Jamie fights
them off—but the incident puts her on high alert. Someone’s willing to kill for
the contents of the bag. Then a would-be assassin opens fire in crowded Covent
Garden, and Jamie is stunned to spot a familiar face: Adam Barrett, who saves
her life with a single shot and calmly slips away. Jamie’s head—and her
heart—tell her that something is very wrong. But she’s come way too far to turn
back now.

About Nichole Christoff

Nichole
Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on
air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television
news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada.
Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society
of North America. She also belongs to Private Eye Writers of America,
International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of
America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and
a member of the board. In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first
manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.
Her second manuscript won a Helen McCloy Scholarship from Mystery Writers of
America. Her last manuscript was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for
Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest novel, The Kill Shot, is a
2014 Killer Nashville Claymore Dagger finalist.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented
by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Afterlife or Bust by June Mayes. Please leave a comment or question for June
to let her know you stopped by. To enter
her tour wide giveaway, for a $10 Amazon or B&N GC, fill out the
Rafflecopter below. You can follow all
of the stops of her tour by clicking on the tour banner above.

Lizzie
is making the best of her life, er afterlife. She's working hard being a doctor
to all things supernatural and for the most part has managed to behave. With
her daytime watcher in tow and a very enticing Master Vampire turning up the
heat of their romance, things couldn’t be better.

Of course things could get worse and do. Being killed again was not part of
Lizzie’s agenda and having to navigate the politics of all things that go bump
in the night is just icing on the afterlife cake. But Lizzie has plans. She's
going to make her death worth living and she is going to drag everyone else
along kicking and screaming.

EXCERPT

“Sure,
I’ll ask them to make an appointment for you, and Bob’s your uncle. All I need
is your name.“ I smiled and was surprised that my canines were down and in full
view. Either there was a threat here I was less than aware of or I was a little
hungry. Hmm yup, no bleeding patients yet today. I would need to go in search
of an unwary patient or two.

“Cuthbert.”
The gargoyle brought me back to what I was doing with that simple
pronouncement. “But I don’t have an Uncle Bob.”

“Forget
Bob. Your name is Cuthbert?” I repeated, stunned.

“Yes,”
he continued to smile at me. Well, it was more a tiny upturn of one side of his
lips, which could have been a grimace or gas come to think of it. No, I was
going with smile. He did genuinely look a little happier, which was a good
sign. I did have to look down and try to school my expression into a calm
understanding doctor face before I looked back up at him.

“A
gargoyle named Cuthbert.”

“Correct.”
Okay, now I know he was smiling. There was a dimple in one cheek and
everything. Course it came and went so fast you would have needed vampire
vision to see the dimple. But hey, that’s why I was the vampire doctor.

“OK,”
I said calmly before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. Godzilla
came up as if to discuss something, and I just shook my head at her. Cuthbert
the gargoyle. Great.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

June
Mayes is a Cape Cod born and bred writer who lived in London for 10 years
before returning home. She’s a hopeless romantic with a passion for writing all
sorts of genre. Her days are spent juggling family life, walking the dog,
writing and reading books, more books and even more books!

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

SYNOPSIS

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.
Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.
Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.
This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City
mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum,
the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park
and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed.
She believes mystery and magic are all around us
but we are too often too busy to notice…
books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

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I am still out of town dealing with a family situation but will have my review for this book posted ASAP.

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Welcome to the Queen of All She Reads Blog. I review all genre of books. Whatever catches my fancy. I either purchase the books or receive the books through a book tour, NetGalley, or the publisher. I do not get paid to review any book.
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